Corner post construction



April 21, 1964 r R. 1.. JENK 3,129,868

CORNER POST CONSTRUCTION Filed April 3, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet l Frlql INVENTOR Robert L. Jezzlg,

ATTORNEY April 21, 1964 R. L. JENK 3,129,868

CORNER POST CONSTRUCTION Filed April 3, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fly. 5 5

\ INVENTOR Robert L. Jen/11 ATTORNEY A ril 21, 1964 R. 1.. JENK 3,129,868

CORNER POST CONSTRUCTION Filed April 3, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENT OR Ro'ber L. Jenlg,

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,129,868 CURNER PEST EGNETRUCTIQN Robert L. Ienh, Cincinnati, (Bhio, assignor to The Mead Corporation, Dayton, Ghio, a corporation of ()hio Filed Apr. 3, 1 251, Ser. No. 1%,550 9 Claims. (Cl. 22-14-) This invention relates to novel corner post constructions for use in conjunction with containers to provide a relatively high and unexpected column compressive strength and/ or cushioning for articles, including relatively heavy articles such as appliances, furniture, varied industrial equipment and the like.

Generally, there is provided a plurality of sections of fiberboard tubing, spiral or convolute wound, and of desired axial and transverse compressive strength, cut to desired lengths for forming corner posts in packing containers. Each tubular section is vertically slit and the edges thus produced are inturned to constitute a somewhat resilient shock absorbing or cushioning element into which the corner of an object which, for example, may be square cornered, will protectively fit. The tubular sections are desirably cut to a length to fit into a container whereby the sections will also greatly strengthen the compressive strength of the corners of the container.

Alternatively, one side of each tubular corner post can be variably cut away to receive in the gap thus formed an additional cushioning element in the shape of an angle bar and fabricated or corrugated cardboard or similar cushioning material.

The device may assume various cross sectional shapes as, for example, a square shape and, if desired, may be further strengthened and cushioned by a filler of, for example, foam polystyrene or the like. And the exterior of the device may be provided with a coating of polystyrene or the like.

Present interior packing used in the container industry seriously lacks consistency, economy and quality. Also, interior packings are manufactured with slow and difficult techniques.

It is, accordingly, an object of the invention to provide corner post packing elements of simple, economical, consistent and highly effective construction.

It is another object of the invention to provide such elements which not only locate and protectively cushion the packed article in spaced relationship with the container walls, but also serve as reinforcing corner posts for the container, strengthening the corners thereof against deforming impact and compressive forces.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel corner post element of the character set forth having a filler material incorporated therewith.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character set forth having a novel exterior coating of plastic material.

It is a further object to provide cushioning packing elements that are ideally constructed for receiving and holding additional angle-bar-shaped strips of corrugated cardboard or other cushioning material embracing the corners of the packed article.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification, taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a spiral wrapped paperboard tube from which certain of the corner post elements of this invention may be cut;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view showing the shaping step for forming the cushioning corner post of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3a is a plan view in horizontal medial section of a plastic coated corner post;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the corner post formed from the construction of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a second form of corner post construction of this invention;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of another species of this invention;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of another form the invention may assume;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of a still further form of the invention; and,

FIGURE 9 is a horizontal sectional view of the device shown in FEGURE 8 but illustrated with a further modification of the invention.

With reference now to FIGURES 1-4 of the drawings, numeral 11 generally designates a phantom shown rectangular carton into the corners of which have been inserted four compression-cushioning corner posts generally designated 12. Each corner post 12 is conveniently and economically formed by cutting oil at line 13 a length x, FIGURES 1 and 2, of laminated paperboard tube 14. Each piece of paperboard, or other suitable relatively still and somewhat resilient material, is desirably of a length substantially equal to the internal height of the container or carton 11 so as to strengthen the carton corners against deforming and potential content-damaging compressive forces, such as would result from high tiering of stackedcontainers. It will be understood that the length x may be the exact internal height of container 11 or may besomewhat less than such internal height.

Next, each corner post 12 is slit vertically along line 14- and is scored along lines 15 parallel to slit 14 to define the longitudinally extending panels or wings 16, which are then bent inwardly about fold lines 15, as indicated by the arrows of FIGURE 3, to the positions thereof shown. If desired, post 12 may be exteriorly coated with a plastic material such as polyethylene or other well known nonabrasive materials, as indicated at 17 in FIGURE 3a, to provide additional strength, as well as protection against scuff or abrasive damage to the packaged article or articles. Cushioning post 12 is now ready for insertion into a corner of container 11, FIGURE 1, where its resilient wings 16 cushioningly embrace the margins of the corner portions of the packaged article or articles, not shown, at one corner of the article.

The semi-cylindrical portion of each post 12 resiliently and tangentially bridges the inner corner area of the container 11 to further cushioningly space the packaged article or articles from the container.

in the species of FIGURE 5, the cut length of tubing 52 is cut away longitudinally to leave a gap subtending an arc of approximately Into and bridging this gap is inserted an angularly bent strip 53 of cardboard, corrugated paperboard or other suitable material for cushioning, padding, abrasion resistance and strengthening or the like.

In the species of FIGURE 6, the piece of tubing 62 is cut away over a wider angle than in the modification of FIGURE 5. The FIGURE 6 species may be provided with an angularly bent strip 63 which permits its apex to extend to, or almost to, the bottom of the trough defined by tubular element 62. It should be noted that this modification of the invention can be economically employed by cutting each length of tubing into two equal halves to provide two semi-cylindrical posts for each cut length of tubing. And it is to be understood that in the forms of the invention shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, that a coating such as indicated at 17 in FIGURE 3a may be added, preferably by pre-treating the material forming the device.

The body of the corner post 12 need not be confined to the tubular shape illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 6, inclusive, but may assume other horizontal cross section areases configurations as, for example, the contour illustrated in FlGURE 7, wherein a corner post 12:: is shown as being of square cross sectional area.

In the form of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 8 and 9, corner post 12?) illustrated therein, is shown as having a cylindrical body similar to that shown in FIG- URES 1-6, inclusive. However, instead of slit 14-, there is provided a longitudinally extending score line with score lines 15a extending parallel thereto and at either side thereof on the inner face of the device. In this form of the invention, it will be apparent that the device may be folded inwardly on score lines 15a, the score line 18 being on the outer face of the device, permitting such folding or bending. The Wings 1601, thus formed, serve the purpose of cushioningly embracing the corner portions of the packaged article or articles as hereinabove set forth with relation to the previously described forms of the invention.

A further modification of the invention is illustrated in FIGURE 9, wherein, in the interior of any of the previously described corner posts having fully enclosed sides there is packed a filler of granular material 2t? such as, for example, beaded or foamed polystyrene or the like. This filler provides additional strength and cushioning power to the corner post to which it is applied.

Accordingly, it will be recognized that the corner post constructions of this invention may be fabricated as by convolute winding or may be formed into substantially rectangular or square geometrical configurations by spiral or convolute winding.

In addition, the overall wall sectional thicknesses of the corner posts of this invention may be varied to provide the required degree of cushioning and compressive strength needed. Moreover, the cross-sectional dimensions of the corner posts may be varied to meet the cushioning and compression strength needed.

While the foregoing presents preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is obvious that other modifications and/or equivalents may be employed without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Cushioning means for protectively packing a rectangular article in spaced relation to the inner wall surfaces of a rectangular container, said means comprisin a piece of at least somewhat resilient sheet material having a portion cylindrically curved about its longitudinal axis through an arc of the order of 180 and having a pair of integral outwardly convex cushioning portions extending inwardly from the edges of said cylindrically curved portion and at least to substantially the mid portion of the inner surface thereof, whereby said cushioning portions may protectively resiliently embrace a corner of said article while said cylindrically curved portion protectively resiliently bridges a corner of said container.

2. In combination, a rectangular container having side, top and bottom walls, a rectangular article packed in said container, and protective cushioning means embracing certain corners of said article and bridging adjacent corners of said container, each of said cushioning means comprising a piece of at least somewhat resilient sheet material having a portion cylindrically curved about its longitudinal axis through an arc of the order of 180 and having a pair of integral outwardly convex cushioning portions extending inwardly from the edges of said cylindrically curved portion and at least to substantially the mid portion of the inner surface thereof, whereby said cushioning portions may protectively resiliently embrace a corner of said article while said cylindrically curved portion protectively resiliently bridges a corner of said container.

3. Cushioning means for protectively packing a rectangular article in spaced relation to the inner wall surfaces of a rectangular container, said means comprising: a piece of at least somewhat resilient sheet material having a portion cylindrically curved about its longitudinal axis through an arc of the order of and having a pair of integral outwardly convex cushioning portions extending inwardly from the edges of said cylindrically curved portion and at least to substantially the mid portion of the inner surface thereof, whereby said cushioning portions may protectively resiliently embrace a corner of said article while said cylindrically curved portion protectively resilient y bridges a corner of said container, said sheet material being paperboard having at least one surface thereof coated with a plastic material.

4. Cushioning means for protectively packing a rectangular article in spaced relation to the inner wall surfaces of a rectangular container, said means comprising: a piece of at least somewhat resilient sheet material having a portion cylindrically curved about its longitudinal axis through an arc of the order of 180 and having a pair of integral outwardly convex cushioning portions extending inwardly from the edges of said cylindrically curved portion and at least to substantially the mid portion of the inner surface thereof, whereby said cushioning portions may protectively resiliently embrace a corner of said article while said cylindrically curved portion protectively resiliently bridges a corner of said container, said sheet material having spaced inner and outer plies and a filling of compressible granular material therebetween, said granular material being an expanded plastic material.

5. Cushioning means for protectively packing a rectangular article in spaced relation to the inner wall surfaces of a rectangular container, said means comprising: a piece of at least somewhat resilient sheet material having a portion cylindrically curved about its longitudinal axis through an arc of the order of 180 and having a pair of integral outwardly convex cushioning portions extending inwardly from the edges of said cylindrically curved portion and at least to substantially the mid portion of the inner surface thereof, whereby said cushioning portions may protectively resiliently embrace a corner of said article while said cylindrically curved portion protectively resiliently bridges a corner of said container, said sheet material having spaced inner and outer plies and an inter mediate ply of foamed plastic material.

6. in combination, a rectangular container having side, top and bottom walls, a rectangular article packed in said container, and protective cushioning means embracing certain corners of said article and bridging adjacent corners of said container, each of said cushioning means comprising a piece of at least somewhat resilient sheet material having a portion cylindrically curved about its longitudinal axis through an arc of the order of 180 and having a pair of integral outwardly convex cushioning portions extending inwardly from the edges of said cylin drically curved portion and at least to substantially the mid portion of the inner surface thereof, whereby said cushioning portions may protectively resiliently embrace a corner of said article while said cylindrically curved portion protectively resiliently bridges a corner of said container, said sheet material being paperboard, and said paperboard having at least one surface thereof coated with a plastic material.

7. In combination, a rectangular container having side, top and bottom walls, a rectangular article packed in said container, and protective cushioning means embracing certain corners of said article and bridging adjacent corners of said container, each of said cushioning means comprising a piece of at least somewhat resilient sheet material having a portion cylindrically curved about its longitudinal axis through an arc of the order of 180 and having a pair of integral outwardly convex cushioning portions extending inwardly from the edges of said cylindrically curved portion and at least to substantially the mid portion of the inner surface thereof, whereby said cushioning portions may protectively resiliently embrace a corner of said article while said cylindrically curved portion protectively resiliently bridges a corner of said container, said sheet material having spaced inner and outer plies and a filling of compressible granular material therebetween, and said granular material being an expanded plastic material.

8. In combination, a rectangular container having side, top and bottom walls, a rectangular article packed in said container, and protective cushioning means embracing certain corners of said article and bridging adjacent corners of said container, each of said cushioning means comprising a piece of at least somewhat resilient sheet material having a portion cylindrically curved about its longitudinal axis through an arc of the order of 180 and having a pair of integral outwardly convex cushioning portions extending inwardly from the edges of said cylindrically curved portion and at least to substantially the mid portion of the inner surface thereof, whereby said cushioning portions may protectively resiliently embrace a corner of said article while said cylindrically curved portion protectively resiliently bridges a corner of said container, said sheet material having spaced inner and outer plies and an intermediate ply of foamed plastic material.

9. In combination, a rectangular container having side, top and bottom walls, a rectangular article packed in said container, and protective cushioning means embracing certain corners of said article and bridging adjacent corners of said container, each of said cushioning means comprising a piece of at least somewhat resilient sheet material having a portion cylindrically curved about its longitudinal axis through an arc of the order of and having a pair of integral outwardly convex cushioning portions extending inwardly from the edges of said cylindrically curved portion and at least to substantially the mid portion of the inner surface thereof, whereby said cushioning portions may protectively resiliently embrace a corner of said article while said cylindrically curved portion protectively resiliently bridges a corner of said container, said sheet material having spaced inner and outer plies and an intermediate ply of foamed plastic material, and said plastic material being polystyrene.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 969,367 Hamilton Sept. 6, 1910 1,821,692 Copeland Sept. 1, 1931 2,019,778 Enholrn et al. Nov. 5, 1935 2,036,876 Kraft Apr. 7, 1936 2,187,382 Libbey Jan. 16, 1940 2,478,172 Sanderson et al. Aug. 9, 1949 2,654,473 Pierce Oct. 6, 1953 2,727,673 Bergstrom Dec. 20, 1955 2,733,851 Van Ness Feb. 7, 1956 2,770,406 Lane Nov. 13, 1956 2,795,366 Magill June 11, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 210,348 Austria July 25, 1960 

7. IN COMBINATION, A RECTANGULAR CONTAINER HAVING SIDE, TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS, A RECTANGULAR ARTICLE PACKED IN SAID CONTAINER, AND PROTECTIVE CUSHIONING MEANS EMBRACING CERTAIN CORNERS OF SAID ARTICLE AND BRIDGING ADJACENT CORNERS OF SAID CONTAINER, EACH OF SAID CUSHIONING MEANS COMPRISING A PIECE OF AT LEAST SOMEWHAT RESILIENT SHEET MATERIAL HAVING A PORTION CYLINDRICALLY CURVED ABOUT ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS THROUGH AN ARC OF THE ORDER OF 180* AND HAVING A PAIR OF INTEGRAL OUTWARDLY CONVEX CUSHIONING PORTIONS EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM THE EDGES OF SAID CYLINDRICALLY CURVED PORTION AND AT LEAST TO SUBSTANTIALLY THE MID PORTION OF THE INNER SURFACE THEREOF, WHEREBY SAID CUSHIONING PORTIONS MAY PROTECTIVELY RESILIENTLY EMBRACE A CORNER OF SAID ARTICLE WHILE SAID CYLINDRICALLY CURVED PORTION PROTECTIVELY RESILIENTLY BRIDGES A CORNER OF SAID CONTAINER, SAID SHEET MATERIAL HAVING SPACED INNER AND OUTER 